[swt1899]

Ok, it hit me... While I was picking up Robert's toys so I could vacuum, I noticed that his toys aren't so little anymore. He has a trainset which he loves that takes up quite an amount of space in the living room. Plus he has other toys which are large. I then went to my dining room and thought "This would make a great playroom." Then I looked at my Ethan Allen dining table and cringed... I spent so much on it. I then measured it and then went into my kitchen and found that it will fit! I can let go of the kitchen table and move the dining table into the kitchen. I had been anti-letting my dining room go for years. I love to entertain, but with us wanting to expand our family and me not working... we can't afford a larger house just yet. We need to make do with what we have.
Sooooooo... Has anyone converted a room into a playroom? How did you do it? Did you install shelving or anything to organize it? How did you decorate it? What flooring do you have? Does it work for you?
If you have a pic, I'd love to see it so I can get ideas. I'm thinking the Elfa-type shelfing system on one wall for smaller toys, books, etc.
Thanks!

[alexis12345]

I have a playroom however, I did not transformed a room into it, I made it from the begging, when we moved to our new home. I don't have a pic now as I can't find my camera...but I can tell you this: When I did not have a playroom, in my old home, toys were in each room, there was always mess and everything looked unorganized. Now with the playroom, everything seems so tidy and clean. No more clutter and mess. I love it. As for decorating, I bought some kids furniture and some pieces of furniture for storage like a toybox and a book stacking shelf. My little one enjoys every moment of playing in the playroom and I love it so much because now it's much easier to keep everything organized and clean.

[swt1899]

Well, this has been a huge success. Our living room is a living room again and Robert feels like such a big boy playing by himself. The playroom a leg length from the kitchen and I can peek in and check on him. He loves it. While I was a bit anti-giving-up-my-dining-room at first, I am glad I did it. Robert is now into his ABCs and 123s so I have found letters to decorate with. These go along great with his toy box and shelf. We are planning on putting in some Elfa shelving for his books and his Little People barn, tree house, etc. That way I can put them on the shelves to I can vacuum and he can reach them to pull them down to play with.It's worked out wonderfully.

[ljb]

So glad it was a success. I wish we had planned a playroom when we redid our house. We are now thinking about adding a three season room for as a playroom. But if we had planned on it right off, we would be in much better shape.

[DK615617]

What a great idea!! I have been kind of afraid to make a playroom, I know that sounds weird.......I just don't want to send the off somewhere else to play! I feel like I since they grow up so stinking fast I want them to play out where I can be with them.
But who am I kidding, it would be great for all of the toys to be in their own place, and for there to be room to leave big toys out.
Right now I have a huge Little Tikes kitchen in my kitchen, and a huge Melissa and Doug Grocery store in my kitchen with it, and a little table and chairs set in my kitchen, and a kids desk in my family room, 2 grocery carts, a doll stroller, fisher price table, incrediblock in my family room.
Not to mention, the toys in their bed rooms that they never play with since they can't find them in the jumbled mess that has become my home.
I may have to do the playroom thing soon after all!!!
Sound like you had fun converting yours.

[swt1899]

At first my mom suggested that we put all of this toys in his bed room. But his room is as the other end of the house... I'd like him playing near us. Our house has a very open floor plant. So I can see him well. I like that. It's also nice to have the toys all in one place just in case we temprarily lose something.
I also play in there with him a lot. There's more room and less chance for him to bump his head on the coffee table and less chance of us tripping over his toys.... which both happened before.
All depends on your floor plant I guess.